


this mess of mine

by FreshBrains



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alcohol, Alpha Laura Hale, Bathrooms, Character Development, F/F, Flirting, Full Shift Werewolves, Hate Sex, In Public, Inspired by Music, Lust at First Sight, Manipulation, Mistakes, POV Laura, Pre-Canon, Regret, Running, Secrets, Sibling Bonding, Teen Wolf Reverse Bang
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-12
Updated: 2015-08-12
Packaged: 2018-04-14 07:34:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4556121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreshBrains/pseuds/FreshBrains
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Laura wouldn’t have to worry about Kate anymore. She was certain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	this mess of mine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [XaviaAndromedovna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/XaviaAndromedovna/gifts).



> For the Teen Wolf Reverse Bang, inspired by artist [xandromedovna](http://xandromedovna.livejournal.com/)'s Kate Argent fanmix, [Brand New Box of Matches](http://xandromedovna.livejournal.com/4283.html). You can also [listen](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGvbYBAT0lrBh0tFP6Xaaod1mQyvfm-eq) to it, and everyone should, because it's an amazing mix. ([download it, too!](http://www.mediafire.com/download/4h53o2rpatze545/Brand+New+Box+of+Matches.zip))
> 
> All warnings are in the tags. This takes place before canon, so the only spoilers come from very early canon events. The sex is consensual, but there's an undercurrent of violence and a power struggle due to the nature of their relationship.
> 
> I see Derek/Kate still happening in this 'verse, but it is not mentioned in this fic.

Beacon Hills was her home, and now it’s a graveyard.

 _Stupid,_ Laura thought, closing her eyes, letting the warm wind rustle her dark hair. _You were stupid to think that was the end. You could’ve stopped this, you stupid,_ stupid _girl._

“I don’t understand,” Derek said, voice low and void of emotion. He trembled next to Laura and she reached out, enveloping her little brother in her arms, holding him close to her thrumming heart. The scent of burnt fur and green smoke still lingered in the area, even though they were both held back by yellow police tape as officers milled around the area. “Laura, why would they do this? Why would _anyone_ do this?”

Laura rested her chin on Derek’s head and closes her eyes.

_In, out. Breathe. Slow your heart. Don’t let him know it’s broken._

“Because we’re werewolves,” she whispered into the crown of his head, “and we have to get used to stuff like this happening. Okay?”

_Be strong. Be the alpha you know you can be._

 

_*_

 

 

“You’re so weird,” Marin said. She tipped back a shot of whiskey and contorted her face as it burned. “You’re the only person I know who drinks when they can’t get drunk.”

“Yeah, what’s the point, then?” Braeden said with a laugh from Laura’s other side. Braeden was the youngest of the three, and Laura knew her least—she was apparently a friend of the Deaton family, and any friend of theirs is a friend of Laura’s, especially if she was tiny and tough and could drink Marin under the table.

“I like putting on an act,” Laura said, winking at the bartender. It was the day after the full moon and she felt gross and heavy, like the day after her period started, and all she needed was a night out with the girls and the excuse of a headache the next morning when Derek asked to go on a run. He wasn’t old enough to know werewolves couldn’t get drunk yet. “Let’s get a round and find a table.”

“Hey, Hale,” a guy said from the end of the bar with a wave, and Laura waved back. She thought she recognized him from her dad’s construction crew. She already chatted with Sheriff Stilinski at the bus stop and a couple who lived on the opposite end of the preserve—in a town as small as Beacon Hills, a family like the Hales couldn’t go anywhere without knowing someone, and Laura wouldn’t have it any other way.

“You sure are popular tonight,” Marin said with an expertly arched eyebrow.

“Yeah, that’s me,” Laura answered sarcastically. “Miss Popularity.”

“Do they give out crowns for that?” A voice came from over Laura’s shoulder as they settled into a table in the corner. Laura usually liked to have her back to the wall, but whoever spotted her was quicker. “Like Miss Congeniality?”

Laura turned as a leather-covered arm reached over and delivered a tray of neon-colored shots to the table. Her eyes traveled up. “Still waiting on that, it seems. But I’d take a sash.”

The woman grinned, teeth gleaming white like a shark’s. Her hair settled in loose, honey-colored curls down her shoulders and a silver necklace dipped into the low collar of her red tee shirt, disappearing into the perfect meeting of her breasts. There was plenty Laura wanted to say, but her instincts caught her first. “You’re not from around here.”

“No,” the woman said, eyes locked on Laura’s. “I’m not, am I?”

“So where are you from, then?” Marin entered the conversation, tone icy, her usual way of shaking down any potential partners or hook-ups who may approach her best friend and future alpha to her emissary. Braeden looked on with her eyes wide, face faux-bored as she listened in.

“Here and there,” the woman said. “I’m just in town for a visit. I thought you ladies could use something sweet.” She nodded to the tray of shots before looking back at Laura. Even though Laura was sitting and the woman was standing, she could tell the other woman was taller—less muscular, but still teeming with a barely-hidden strength. “Enjoy your evening.”

Laura licked her lips, tasting the sweetness of her last shot. “Will do…”

“Kate,” the woman said, already walking away, grinning that devilish grin over her shoulder. “Call me Kate the next time you see me.”

Laura returned the smile, feeling pleased heat rise to her face. “Well, dig in,” she said, grabbing a bright pink shot from the tray.

“Dude,” Marin said, voice bland. She crossed her arms over her chest.

“What are you being so weird about? She was totally hot, in a scary sort of way,” Braeden offered, snatching a shot and slamming it back.

“Which is what Marin is worried about,” Laura countered, holding Marin’s stare and communicating with her purely through the kind of look that way only lifelong best friends can communicate with. “But you’re right. She needs to _relax_.” Laura forced a shot into Marin’s hand, giving her a subtle flash of red eyes—her special signal that she had a clear head and knew what she was doing.

Marin shook her head but smiled. “You’re so lucky I’m not your emissary.”

“Yet,” Laura grinned, sticking her tongue out.

An hour later, Braeden and Marin were both well on their way past tipsy and veering into drunk, their arms slung around each other at the table. Braeden was wearing a dude’s cowboy hat after dancing with him to a bad country song, and Marin was low-key flirting with the cute, tattooed bartender from across the room. Laura excused herself and headed to the bathroom.

As she washed her hands, she glanced at the mirror and smiled when she saw a familiar figure lingering in the doorway. “Kate. You told me to call you that if I saw you again.”

“ _When_ you saw me again,” Kate said. She walked towards the sink, hips swaying.

Laura turned the water off and faced Kate, hands resting on the edge of the sink. “Well, here we are, Kate.” She quirked her mouth into a sly smile and felt her wolf howl deep in her chest, eager for a different sort of hunt.

With a dark laugh, Kate had Laura up against the sink in a flash, hands on her hips. Her lips grazed the shell of Laura’s ear and brought a shiver down her back. “You play with fire often, baby?”

“More often than I should,” Laura replied, tangling her hands through Kate’s hair and yanking her face down to kiss her hard and wet. She realized Kate hadn’t been drinking at all; her mouth tasted like smoke and peppermint. She sank her teeth gently into Kate’s bottom lip, drawing a growl from the other woman.

“Come home with me,” Kate murmured against Laura’s lips. Her hands skimmed up Laura’s sides and slid into her jacket to cup her breasts, long nails grazing the sensitive skin below her collar.

Laura groaned and stole another kiss, hand hot where it was cupped against the back of Kate’s neck. Right as she was about to say yes, she thought about Marin’s brooding stare, about Peter’s teasing that Laura hooked up too much after becoming an alpha, about Derek’s furrowed brow when she tried to explain to him how werewolves were different than humans but wanted similar things. She pulled away with a sigh. “Not tonight,” she said, eyes still closed.

“That’s too bad,” Kate whispered, lips grazing Laura’s. She tugged at the pocket of Laura’s jeans and slid a piece of paper inside. “Give me a call, though. I’ll be around.” She shook out her hair, her lips glossy and kiss-bruised, before walking out of the bathroom. “Have a good night, Laura.”

As Laura caught her breath and fixed her jacket in the mirror, she realized she never told Kate her name.

*

“Laura, come on! You promised!”

Laura woke with a groan, Derek’s voice echoing through her bedroom.

“Shut up,” Cora groaned, rolling over in bed. She was the quiet sister, the surly one, and she and Derek were always at each other’s throats—especially in the morning. “It’s too early.”

“Be right out,” Laura said, tossing a pillow at Cora’s bed. Cora let out an indignant squeak and tossed it back.

“You got in late last night,” Cora said, leaning up on her elbow. Her dark hair settled in a messy halo around her head. “Mom’s going to be pissed.”

“No, she’d be pissed if _you_ came in late,” Laura said, not unkindly, and tugged a tank top on over her sports bra. “I’m out of high school, so it doesn’t matter.”

“ _That doesn’t mean anything, Laura_ ,” Talia’s voice warned from downstairs, and Cora giggled, curling back into bed to enjoy the rest of her Sunday morning.

Laura finished tying the pink laces on her running shoes and jogged downstairs. She figured Derek would want to shift and swim in the creek off the river after running, so she didn’t bother washing off her makeup from the night before.

“Cora’s right,” Talia said from the kitchen as Laura came down the stairs. “I thought you just went out with Marin. She’s supposed to be the responsible one.” She gave Laura a pointed look as she scanned the newspaper.

“Marin went home with a dude with a goldfish tattoo,” Laura said, and stopped in front of the fridge to take a swig of orange juice right from the carton. “ _I_ came home to my family.”

“Don’t get defensive,” Talia said smoothly, coming behind to wrap her daughter in a mama-scented hug. “I wouldn’t be a mom _or_ an alpha if I didn’t worry a little.”

“I know,” Laura said softly, resting her head back on her mother’s shoulder. She knew the family’s worries weren’t exactly founded on dust. After she protected her pack and killed the alpha trying to infiltrate their borders only months earlier, she’d taken her alpha status seriously—but she also enjoyed it. It made her stronger, more sure of herself. It gave her confidence.

And if she wanted to use that confidence to slide into hot peoples’ beds, who was she to deny it?

“I’m heading out,” she said, pecking Talia on the cheek.

*

Laura would never admit it, but Derek was her favorite.

She _loved_ her siblings and family members equally, of course, but nobody made her smile like her cocky little brother who was still growing into his ears and his howl. He was strong and fast, always ahead of the game, and even though his eyes were blue and tinged with a bit of sadness Laura could never hope to understand, he remained steadfastly loyal to his family and his pack.

“Someone’s out here,” he said, turning to look at her as he ran ahead in the preserve. They followed the trails on their morning runs, feet pounding all-human against the gravel and dirt, until they got to the trail ends and shifted to run through the forest. Laura remained in her half-shift with Derek—she didn’t want to _completely_ outrun him. “Up in the woods, to the north.”

Laura leaned back, scenting the air. “Good call. But I don’t scent anything out of the ordinary. Do you?” She smelled leather and metal, truck exhaust—maybe a maintenance crew.

Derek halted in his path, skidding to a messy stop, and Laura swerved past him. “Gunpowder,” he said, mouth drawn with fear.

Laura moved into his line of sight and caught a heavy whiff coming between the trees, and yes, that was definitely gunpowder, fresh and sharp. There was no hunting in the preserve—no _legal_ hunting, that is.

Fear flowed through her body, but the adrenaline and protective instinct overpowered it. There was no guarantee they were _hunter_ hunters—they might just be townspeople looking for a deer. But she wasn’t willing to take that risk. “Let’s head to the creek. Keep your shift. It’ll sharpen your senses. _Go_.”

The world blurred around them as they ran, more animal than human, following the smell of clean, running water. They could hide their scents there, and since it was on the opposite side of the preserve from the Hale house, they could lead the hunters astray. There was a low outcropping of rocks on the far side of the creek, and she motioned for Derek to join her under it where they could remain unseen to passersby.

“Who are they?” Derek whispered, shivering slightly from the cold water.

Laura wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. “Stay quiet. I can hear their truck coming this way.”

They held each other in the water, backs against the craggy rock, and listened. The truck rumbled closer, and Laura heard soft speaking from the cab—a man and a woman, both young, seemingly calm. The truck pulled up next to the creek and the driver cut the engine. Boots came down on the rocky bank.

“This is the wrong area,” the man said, sounding frustrated. “We were supposed to survey the south side. The old man wants info _tonight,_ Katie.”

Laura snapped to attention. _Katie._ Kate.

“We can start here, though,” Kate said, and it was _her_ Kate, Kate from the bar. “Get out the maps. Start marking them.”

Derek glanced up at Laura, eyes wide, but Laura could offer no consolation. She had no idea what to think. What were they marking? Who was the old man? And most importantly, why the hell did they have guns?

“Let’s head back to town,” the man said. Kate sighed, irritated, but agreed—she seemed to have the final say. “We can start fresh tomorrow. I don’t want to run into this blind, Kate. We’re not hunting. We’re just getting info.”

“ _Hunters,”_ Derek whispered, voice panicked, as the engine roared back to life and the car drove off.

Kate squeezed her eyes shut for a brief second in an attempt to stave off the fear coursing through her body. When she opened them, she made sure they were tinged in just the right amount of red—just enough to make Derek snap to attention. “Derek, listen to me,” she said, low and hot, “I want you to run back home the way we came. Stay in human form. Tell Mom what we saw.”

“But I don’t—“ Derek said, eyes wide, but Laura just shook her head.

“Go back. Let me handle this.”

He nodded, his young face drawn with worry, and swam easily to the opposite side of the creek where he got up and dashed into the woods, following Laura’s orders like a good beta.

Laura took a deep breath and lifted herself out of the water, fingers forming claws against the slick stone outcropping. “Okay, Kate,” she growled, hunching into a running stance, “let’s see what the hell you want from me.”

No matter how many times she did it, the full shift would always freak her out. She’d seen Talia do it a hundred times and she moved with such effortless, seamless grace that it looked _natural_ , like she’d been born knowing how to be an alpha. But with Laura, it felt like something else was taking over her body, something blood-hot and angry, something that wanted to strip skin from bone and turn her inside out.

Her paws thudded against the gravel; her ears picked up even more of nature’s sounds around her. She turned in slow circles, checking the scene before she ran ahead. Her clothes and brand-new running shoes lay in tatters on the creek bed. Her iPod was crushed into slivers of metal.

 _Get her, chase her,_ her wolf growled, urging Laura forward, hackles rising. _Protect your pack._

While Laura ran, her target not far off down the gravel road going into town, she stayed hidden in the brush beside the track. Her instincts took over quickly, much quicker than when she was a beta, and by the time she skidded to a halt ten yards in front of the truck with her teeth bared in the broad daylight, her body was taut and ready to protect her pack.

The driver—the guy, a scruffy younger man with bright eyes—slammed on the brakes. The truck veered to the side of the road and ground to a halt. Laura growled, standing strong with her teeth bared.

After a moment of silence, the engine clicking as it cooled, the passenger door opened and Kate stepped out, leather boots grinding against the gravel. Laura snapped out a bark, cautioning her to stay back, but Kate held her arms in the air, a gorgeous smirk on her face.

“I’m not going to shoot you, baby. Just put those teeth back in your mouth.” She wasn’t armed with anything but a knife at her waist, and that was no match for Laura—wolfsbane-coated or not.

“Kate, get back in the car,” the guy said, voice panicked. He was older than Kate, but not by much, and he _definitely_ wasn’t in charge.

“Oh, she’s just a puppy, Chris,” Kate said with a sneer. She slammed the door closed. “You don’t have to hide behind a pelt, Laura.”

Laura went quiet for a moment before settling back on her haunches and letting her body melt apart, knitting itself back into human form. The shift back into a human body was much less painful—in fact, it was like sinking into a warm bath, like finally coming home. “Okay, Kate. You’ve got me. Now tell me why you’re here.” The cool spring air hit her bare skin, but she couldn’t find it in herself to be embarrassed by her nakedness in front of the woman she kissed in a dimly-lit bar bathroom the night before.

Kate raised an eyebrow, smiling. Despite her cool exterior, there was a low, smoky scent of arousal beneath her skin, and Laura grinned back in smug appreciation. “You seemed happy enough to meet me last night, didn’t you?”

“Sure,” Laura said easily, not breaking eye contact. “That was when you were a potential fuck, not a werewolf hunter on _my_ territory.”

Kate rolled her eyes, making a tutting noise. “Laura, Laura. A few months ago you wouldn’t be so bold, would you? You were just mommy’s little beta, nipping at her heels.” She walks slowly to stand in front of the car. “Now you’re the big wolf.” She laughs. “ _Your_ territory. You wouldn’t know what to do with this land if it bit you in the ass.”

Laura tried not to be fazed by Kate’s words, but they still stung, especially coming from a woman she thought was a complete stranger the night before. “Maybe I have something to prove,” she said, voiced laced with dry humor, but instead of quipping back, Kate raised an eyebrow. _I can smell her emotions, but she can’t smell mine_ , Laura remembered. Could Kate really be that stupid, thinking Laura would play into her mind games? “Maybe I’m looking to prove that I’m not a baby anymore.”

The wind whistled in the trees around them, the sun shining down on the dirt road in patches. Chris sat in the truck, eyes flicking between Kate and Laura.

Kate walked back to the passenger door and opened it, eyes still on Laura. “If you’re looking to prove something,” she said, in clear earshot of Chris, “I’m staying at the Inn downtown tonight.”

*

“Why are you getting all dressed up?” Cora’s voice startled Laura as she curled her hair in the bathroom mirror. Usually she’d hear her little sister from a mile away, but her thoughts were stuck on her inner debate whether to follow through on her plan or not. “You shouldn’t go out. Mom says there’s _hunters_ out there.” She bit her thumbnail, eyes wide as she looked at Laura primping in the mirror.

Laura just stuck her tongue out at her and sprayed an arc of perfume onto her wrist—a light, delicate scent that didn’t cling or cloy, something Marin made especially for her. “I’ll think I’ll be okay, kid. Don’t wait up for me, okay?” She leaned down and pecked Cora on the forehead, taking her chubby takes between her palms. “And if Mom asks where I am, tell her I went out with Marin again, okay?”

“Okay,” Cora said skeptically. “You smell nice, but nervous, too. Are you doing something bad?”

Laura sighed and grabbed her car keys. She’d drive instead of running. “I’m not sure yet. Ask me tomorrow.”

During the drive to downtown Beacon Hills, Laura thought about what she knew about hunters. She hadn’t been invited to the pack meeting earlier—it was for elders only, which meant her mother, father, grandparents, and two alphas from neighboring packs. They hadn’t called for an emergency or requested pack backup, so whatever snooping they did in town either proved Kate and her male companion weren’t dangerous or they were really good at covering their tracks. Laura told Talia all she knew about Kate, and tried to be as honest as possible—she met her at the bar, she hadn’t made any outright threats, she hadn’t said much about the Hale pack.

She left out the part about meeting her in a motel later that night.

*

Kate opened the door before Laura could even knock. She answered with a drink in one hand and a knife in the other, naked from head to toe, her hair falling over her breasts. “Leave your animal at the door,” she sneered.

“Only if you leave your knife in your bag,” Laura countered. She couldn’t smell any wolfsbane in the near vicinity.

“Deal,” Kate said, and stepped aside to let Laura into the room.

*

Laura braced herself over Kate, knees tight on either side of Kate’s bare hips. Their bodies were slick with sweat, blood-hot with anger and lust, skin scorching as they ground against each other. Laura wound a hand through Kate’s blonde hair and tugged her neck back. She let her teeth graze the tender skin there, her mouth watering at the pounding of Kate’s rabbit-quick heartbeat.

“Fuck, _no_ ,” Kate said, trying to squirm away from Laura’s lips, but Laura just growled and slammed her back onto the mattress. The dim light from the bedside lamp cast an eerie glow across Kate’s face.

“Relax,” Laura hissed, sucking a mark onto Kate’s neck. “No teeth. We wouldn’t want you in the pack, anyways.” Before Kate could say anything, Laura thrust her fingers hard between her legs, Kate’s wet cunt taking them easily. She’d already taken Laura’s mouth, could probably take her whole _fist_ if Laura was feeling mean, but Laura was there for a reason. “Now listen to me.”

“You’re insane,” Kate said, but her body arched into Kate’s hand, hips rising for more pressure and friction against her cunt. She looked up at Laura with blown pupils. “Good thing I’ve always had a kink for crazy.”

“And _you’re_ going to listen to me,” Laura said. Her hair dangled down into Kate’s face, damp with sweat, but she just stared at Kate hard as she moved her fingers in a perfect rhythm, thumb rubbing in perfect sync against Kate’s clit. “Tomorrow, you’re going to leave. Pack up and go. And you will never, _ever_ speak to my family or me again. Is that clear?” Her stomach clenched with arousal as Kate gasped into her mouth, body tightening, ready to climax. But she wanted an answer. She slid her fingers out of Kate’s cunt, almost moaning at the loss of warmth and wetness. “Answer me.”

“You got it,” Kate ground out, letting her head fall back onto her pillows, eyes squeezed shut. She squirmed beneath Laura, legs coming to tug Laura in by the hips.

Laura sighed when her own swollen clit pressed against Kate’s vulva. She still wanted this woman, wanted her body and her sweat, the sinful way she smiled and laughed, the lazy confidence of her kisses and touches. But even more, she wanted to be the alpha she knew she could be.

“Because if you come back,” Laura said, bringing her hand back down between Kate’s spread legs, “I _will_ kill you.”

“We’ll see about that,” Kate said, and those were the last words between them. For the rest of the night, there was just sweat and sighing, hands and fingers.

The moon shone bright on them, a delicate crescent against the night, sending the blood in Laura’s veins singing with things yet to come.

*

By the time Laura trudged home, it was eight in the morning and all she wanted was to brush her teeth, take a shower, and sleep for a century. But the other half of her, the dirtier side, wanted to keep the scent of Kate between her legs and in her hair forever, savoring the smoky-sweet flavor of the other woman’s skin.

“You were out for a quite a long time,” Peter said from the porch, shooting Laura a sneer. “Get lost on the way home?”

“Fuck off,” Laura said with a sneer, and ducked into the gardening shed. Not only did the small building on the northern side of the house offer shelter from Peter’s prying eyes, it was the one place on the grounds she was given privacy in—save for Marin, nobody else had an interest in the family garden but Laura, and she could gladly spend hours tending the areas around the house, arms coated in soil up to the elbow, sweat running down her back.

She hauled a bag of potting soil over her shoulder and ducked behind the shed to the three large clay pots her mother recently crafted at the gallery where she taught community art classes. The pots were perfect for big bunches of fragrant lavender, and since it was May, she’d have luck with them this time. As she tipped the soil into the pots and began patting it down, she thought about what Kate said.

 _We’ll see about that_.

It was all talk. Kate was a hunter, but she was also _human_ —all talk, no action. Laura patted the soil down around the lavender, taking in the soothing scent of damp earth.

She wouldn’t have to worry about Kate anymore. She was certain.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from one of the songs on the mix: "Best Sunday Dress" by Hole, which is one of my favorite songs of all time.


End file.
